Linden: My fate has changed because of China, and I am determined to repay this kindness with my life.
December 11, 2023, Du Fu Thatched Cottage.
The cold wind rose slightly, and the shadows of the red walls flickered.
Boundless falling trees and Xiao Xiaoxiao, endless Yangtze River rolling!In front of Du Fu's statue, Brian Linden, an American who has had a relationship with China for nearly 40 years and the founder of "Xilin Garden", read Du Fu's poem "Ascending", which is known as the "crown of the seven laws". Du Fu has been adrift all his life, but for Linden, who has traveled to more than 100 countries and chose China as his second home, his mood is completely different. China is his most solid support, and his feelings for China are just like the water of the Yangtze River.
This is his 30th visit to Chengdu. The handsome face carved with the traces of the years, fluent Chinese, casual long hair, warm smile, bright eyes, took a sip of the tea bowl, Linden's face was full of joy that could not be hidden, "This green tea is too authentic!""Lyndon loves green tea. Drinking tea by himself, he had a lot of thoughts, he flipped out his mobile phone, and it turned out that the album treasured the old ** who came to Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage to drink tea in 1984.
Green tea has a more special meaning for Linden.
In 1984, Linden, who was still a carpet cleaner, learned about China for the first time at the old professor's house, and also tasted green tea from China for the first time. During that 30-minute conversation with the professor, he was fascinated by the Chinese story from the professor's mouth. At that time, he was dragging a 60-kilogram cleaner and fell into frustration and yearning. I never thought that fate was about to begin to turn.
Hi, how are you guys having a good time?Hi, it's amazing here!At Du Fu's Thatched Cottage, Lyndon greeted the visitors who walked by, and the visitors responded with a friendly smile. Lyndon doesn't see the shadow of a "foreigner" at all, as he himself said, I'm not a foreigner, I'm a fellow.
On the last day of August 1984, Linden took a train from the Trans-Siberian Railway to Beijing and started his new life in China. Twenty years later, one day at the end of October 2004, Linden left the United States with his wife and children, and arrived in Beijing with seven heavy travel bags, choosing to settle in China.
"In China, I have found hope and a home. Lyndon, who had just celebrated his 60th birthday, often said, "My fate has changed because of China, and I am determined to repay this kindness with my life." ”
Why China?
Because there was something he didn't have—hope
There are friends from afar, and they are happy.
Lin Deng, who had just gone to Qufu, had a deeper understanding of this sentence. This is the third time he has gone to Qufu, the Confucian Temple and the Confucian Mansion Konglin, every place is the ultimate treasure shining in the long river of civilization, and the phrase "friends come from afar" is in line with Linden's Chinese feelings.
At the professor's home, he told the professor, "I won't be a cleaner all my life. "However, when I walked out of the professor's house, there was hopeLyndon was at a loss.
Two weeks later, Lyndon saw a poster at the door of his evening school classroom with a message about China's recruitment of international students.
Isn't China the magical and fascinating country that the professor calls it?
In a state of confusion, Lyndon wrote a letter to the Chinese embassy. In the letter, he talked about his poor family background, unknown life and failed American dream, as well as his yearning and curiosity about China. Since the age of 15, Lyndon has been working and studying part-time, with heavy manual work and a meager salary to help relieve the family's financial pressure.
It was precisely this situation that made Lyndon not have much hope.
But the gears of fate began to turn.
Three months later, Lyndon received a letter from the Chinese embassy that he was offered a university in Beijing and a scholarship from China.
In this way, Lyndon began his first trip to China.
Little did Lyndon know at the time that China was one of the poorest countries in the world, with a GDP per capita of less than $300.
At that time, Lyndon did not know that China was in the early stage of reform and opening up, and everything was moving towards a new starting point.
At that time, Lin Deng didn't know that he was the first batch of international students to come to Beijing after the founding of New China.
During his days of studying in China, in order to have a deeper understanding of China, Lyndon traveled almost all over China's big cities and villages, communicating with the people he met, integrating them into them, understanding them, and becoming friends with everyone.
This precious experience allowed him to witness China's reform and opening up up closely, feel the greatness of China and the loveliness of the people, and let him find something he did not have on American soil - hope.
Hope – Lyndon wants to do more than just have hope, he wants to be able to continue hope.
In 2004, Lyndon and his wife made a bold decision: sell their American house and settle in China with their children.
"China has changed my life, and I am always grateful to China and hope to do something for China. Linden said.
The best reward
To protect and inherit cultural heritage, but also to open up and communicate with the outside world
Linden, a native of the United States, is now the owner of China's high-end homestay Xilinyuan, but he doesn't like the title "homestay". He believes that he does more than just a B&B, and he wants more than just running a hotel.
Linden hopes to restore and protect China's tangible cultural heritage, and also hopes to open up to the outside world and inherit culture, which is his best reward for China.
In Xizhou, Yunnan, "Xilinyuan" is the local golden signboard, and Linden is the largest "conspicuous bag" in the local area. Everyone in the village knows him, adults and children call and go like a family, big and small neighbors do not distinguish between each other. Linden can be seen everywhere, and he and the villagers have long been a family.
There are 26 ethnic groups living in the village, and Linden, who calls himself the "27th ethnic American", is a bit skinny. But Lyndon, who is a little skinny and likes to joke, is very serious when he talks about Xilin Yuan. Rooted here for 20 years, the B&B is just a carrier, and he has a bigger vision and ambition.
Xilinyuan is not only a homestay, nor is it just a tourist attraction, it focuses on rural residents and local culture, it returns to nature and reality, and it wants to extend to external exchanges, upward posture and more actions.
This kind of action, in Linden's view, is to protect orthodoxy and break down borders. The cultural core of many ancient cities that has lasted for thousands of years should not be changed, but inherited and protected.
The private house built in 1947 by the famous businessman Yang Pinxiang is a typical Bai architecture, exquisite and elegant, and Linden was deeply attracted at first sight. After renting the house, Lyndon renovated it. In order to restore its original appearance to the greatest extent, he hired more than 100 villagers and spent 18 months finally "looking like the same".
Over the past 20 years, Xilinyuan has grown into a high-end brand that gathers fame and popularity. Lyndon's team has given him a lot of support, balancing business considerations with personal aspirations, supporting and protecting what he wants to repay.
Therefore, the current Xilin Garden is more accurately positioned as a cultural exchange platform with an international perspective. Now Xilin Yuan not only provides free Xi opportunities for local students, but also cooperates with aristocratic schools in the United States to invite these children to spend 5 months in Xizhou to learn Xi traditional Chinese culture with local children.
Lin Deng felt that "it was not enough", and he hoped that more foreign young people would come and participate in the development of China's countryside like him, deeply feel and experience the charm of Chinese culture, and become cultural ambassadors of people-to-people exchanges.
How great China's 5,000 years are
If you want to know China, you must come to China!
"Do you know how many times I've been on a train?I've spent more than 200 nights on the train, 200 of which were in China. ”
Now Linden, the most favorite thing is to "take the high-speed rail to see China", "China's high-speed rail is so great, you can enjoy different geographical features and cultural customs at any station." ”
Walking in China, appreciate the magnificence of mountains and valleys, feel the majesty of the Rizhao rivers, touch the traces of civilization through the years, and let the beautiful imagination of China for 5,000 years rush in your heart. Talking about these years of walking, Linden's eyes lit up, "Those people who talked to me on the train, those scenery flying outside the window, those wonderful encounters along the way, I have never forgotten." On the train, I like to talk to them, they like to talk to me, I can fit in quickly, and no one treats me as a foreigner. One of the most special memories is that on the green train, Lyndon and everyone huddled together, drank old white dried melon seeds, and chatted and laughed loudly.
Traveled through China, moved with his family, settled in China, and dedicated himself to it.
Over the years, Lyndon has been influencing others in a hands-on way. He wants to speak out in his own way, "I am willing to 'defend' China, I want to fight against those unfriendly voices." They are very subjective and make things up, but in reality many of them have never been to China. There is too much self-righteousness in their frivolous and subjective assumption that China dominates the economy. Over the years, Lyndon and his wife have traveled around the world to do exchanges and speeches, and they use their own stories to tell everyone a real China. They also set up galleries to exhibit Chinese art, hoping to change the superficial perceptions and frivolous stigmatization.
Of course, Lyndon believes that the best way is to "come to China if you want to know about China." ”
Foreign countries really know too little about China, maybe they only know Chinese food and pandas, maybe they have only been to a few scenic spots or Sanlitun when they come to China, but these are only a very small part of China, and they are not the whole picture of China. I was in China, and I learned about the loveliness and greatness of these 40 years, but the 4960 years before China were also very great and very cute!How great China is in the past 5,000 years, it is worth learning from Xi and **.
Linden suggested that more foreign friends should come to China to take a look around, wear Hanfu, and taste the unique charm here. For example, come to Chengdu to see and feel the beautiful cultural soft power here. "China has its own shortcomings, but the West should not be sanctimonious in denying China's remarkable social and economic achievements and turning a blind eye to China's vast cultural influence. ”
Come to China, put on Chinese clothes and immerse yourself in this unique 5,000-year-old historical and cultural story, to feel and share China's unique cultural wisdom, and let the world perceive it. ”
Who is Brian Linden?
He is a traveler who has traveled to more than 100 countries and is the author of "Finding Hometown in China: The Story of Linden".He used to be a reporter and interviewed Wallace ***, and he is also the owner of "Xilin Garden". Lyndon has a lot of symbols on his body and a lot of labels. He has a lot of stories and a lot of experiences. "I have had a lot of perseverance in my life, but my biggest insistence is that I love China and I want to repay China. ”
Forty years ago, he could not recognize China on a map, but now Lyndon is inseparable from the country. For him, China was once a place of hope for life, and then a second home that he could not part with, and now, Linden said, "China is my first home, I feel more comfortable in China, and I prefer to live in China for a long time." ”
I will spend my whole life to repay China, and I will continue to tell our Chinese story. ”
Chengdu ** Jinguan News.
Text: Zhang Tingting, Li Ying, Wu Zhe, Li Yanling.
Photography and video: Lv Jia, Liu Yang, Zeng Shurui, Wang Huan.
*: Zeng Shurui.
Poster: Yan Jin.
Editor-in-charge: He Qitie, Editor: Wang Qi.
Some of the ** and ** materials were provided by the respondents.